Favourite Sweater
by kiarar
Summary: AU. Oneshot. She was an amazing gymnast. She was a sweet person. She never deserved any of the abuse. And he put a stop to it.


**A/N: **Alrighty! I apologize for not updating Who I Am for _months_, but I just can't seem to get past that damned writer's block. Anyway, this is a little AU oneshot that I cooked up at three in the morning, then spent a few weeks developing in my head before I was satisfied with it. Please enjoy, and try not to kill me for the delays on Who I Am...

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**Favourite Sweater**

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"And don't you fucking _dare _go near her again." Kakashi gave the man a final death glare before he spun on his heel and marched towards the front door. He grabbed the knob and wrenched the solid oak door open, storming out into the frigid winter air. The young man descended the carved stone steps and paused in front of his car. He took a moment to admire the girl asleep in the passenger seat. He had done it for her sake. For her. Rin.

_-Earlier-_

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, waiting until Rin had almost downed the small cup of water before making his way over to the dispenser. Kakashi noticed the way she saw him approaching and hurriedly finished her water, then added her plastic cup to the growing stack on the dispenser. Rin rushed towards the uneven bars, chestnut brown ponytail bobbing, and gymnast's leotard sparkling under the bright fluorescent lights. "Where're you going in such a hurry?" he called after her.

"Back to work," she called over her shoulder.

"C'mon, Rin," he said plaintively.

Slowly, she turned around and headed back to the water dispenser. She knew he liked talking to her to drag out his breaks, the lazy bastard. "And you're going to be Olympic champion how?" she asked.

"Hey, every gymnast needs a break," he countered.

"Well you don't really stick to the '_a_' part," Rin pointed out.

Kakashi paused for a moment and downed his water, stacking the empty cup on top of hers. He crossed his muscled arms over his chest and fixed her with a stern glare. "You okay?" he asked abruptly. His eyes descended for a moment, glancing at her shins before looking into her light brown eyes.

"Fine," she replied curtly, looking away.

Kakashi grabbed another plastic cup and filled it casually with water. At the same time, he took a step in front of her, blocking her small 5' 1'' form from view with his own larger frame and murmured quietly, "You don't have to lie to me." Kakashi's dark gaze remained fixedly on her shins. On the marks that cut angry red lines across her skin. He had seen similar marks before, on 'hired female entertainment' that was a little too fond of kinky whip-like sex toys. Only these marks were too raw to have been administered in the heat of passion (not that a fifteen-year-old should have been engaging in that kind of activity anyway). Her injuries were deliberate. Rin had been whipped. Recently. And he knew who had abused her. With his free hand, Kakashi punched the wall behind her in anger, making her jump. "Rin, when are you going to realize that your bastard of an adoptive father isn't going to stop beating you?" he hissed.

"I've already realized that," Rin replied defiantly. "I can't do anything about it."

He lowered his lips to her ear, briefly inhaling the faint scent of lavender that seemed to always hang about her person. "Maybe you can't, but I can. And I will."

"Kakashi, you _know_ that it's a bad idea. The guy is rich. He's powerful. He can do whatever the hell he wants and he'll always get away with it."

He gently wrapped his arm around her. "Just you wait. You'll see," he promised quietly.

"Kakashi, will you please stop flirting with Rin?" the head coach called across the gym. "You know that dating isn't allowed when Nationals are coming up. Rin. Beam. Now. I want to see that Onodi in a flight series and the new dismount."

"I'm _fine_," she hissed one last time, ducking under his arm. She did what the coach asked of her, but then did conditioning for the rest of the day, deeming herself too distracted to do any real work without seriously injuring herself or someone else. Kakashi really was a good friend. He had been the first to notice the bruises that began showing up on the backs of her hands and on her legs. He kept on asking about them until one day, she cracked and the whole story came spilling out. How her adoptive father forced her to the utmost limits to win. How he beat her whenever he felt like it. How he paid for all the leotards that he had picked forher and how he threatened to kick her out onto the street if she didn't keep her mouth shut. Ever since that day, Kakashi had been looking it out for her. He drove her to her house after practice (a place of abuse really couldn't be called a home) and always made sure that Rin knew she could trust him as a friend.

That day, he drove her to her house in silence; she too tired to talk and he not a fan of frivolous conversation. About halfway there, she nodded off, head against the window. Kakashi pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. He glanced at her, dozing quietly, and he knew that today was the last straw. He wouldn't let Rin get abused any longer by the pig that had "saved" her from the orphanage. She was his friend and he cared about her, so he readied himself for the most important screaming match of his life. Though he was only seventeen, he knew he was tall, intimidating, and muscular from years of harsh gymnastics training. His inherited black eyes were capable of a burning cold expression and he had eerie silver hair that was so pale it was nearly white. He took a deep breath and checked one last time that Rin was asleep beside him before opening the car door. _Here goes nothing._

_-Present-_

He climbed into the car, closing the door as quietly as he could. But the sound still woke Rin. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," he said.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up a little straighter. "S'ok. I didn't mean to fall asleep on the way." She grabbed her bag and reached for the door handle when Kakashi pushed the master lock on the car, locking all the doors. "Kakashi?"

"You're not going back there," he said, reversing out of the driveway.

A note of fear made its way into her voice. "Kakashi? What's going on?"

"I said, you're not going back there," he repeated.

"Kakashi, you are really starting to scare me."

He stopped at a light and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Sorry, just... stressed."

"Well, where are you taking me?" Rin asked.

"To my place." A pause. "I had a... little chat with your adoptive father."

"Are you _crazy_? Turn around. There is no way he's going to let me slide for that. I have to-"

"_Have to_ nothing," he cut her off. "I told him I would be taking you somewhere else. It's out of his hands now. And you're coming with me," Kakashi said with finality.

She fell silent for a bit, watching the urban cityscape through the window. "Are you mad at me?" Rin asked quietly.

He glanced over at her. "No. What makes you think that?"

"It looks like you're trying to make the steering wheel implode," she pointed out quietly.

The young man looked down at his white-knuckled grip and forced himself to relax. "It's not you. I'm pissed off at that sick bastard that could do that kind of thing to you." He reached over and let his hand rest on top of her chestnut locks. "You don't deserve that. You're a good kid."

"I'm fifteen," Rin countered.

"Fine, you're a good teen," he corrected himself. "Happy?"

"... I don't know," she murmured.

Kakashi stayed silent, not sure how to reply. He pulled into the underground parking lot and killed the engine. They both got out and she followed him quietly up to his apartment. He unlocked the door and flipped on the lights. His apartment was clean, but Rin got the distinct impression that it hadn't been lived in. At least not much. Gymnasts spent the majority of their waking hours at the gym. "It's not much, but it'll do for now. Want anything to eat?"

Rin shook her head.

"You can have the bed then. Down the hall, on the right. I'll take the couch. _Don't_ argue," he said, seeing her about to protest.

She nodded meekly, taking her duffel bag with her. She opened the door and after a little fumbling, flicked on the lights, eyes sweeping over the shelf laden with trophies and medals and a few posters of great gymnasts that adorned the pale blue walls. Rin paused to read some of the titles on Kakashi's awards before dropping her bag and jacket, heading into the hallway on a hunt for the bathroom.

"Extra toothbrush in the medicine cabinet," Kakashi called from the kitchen.

She found said toothbrush and laid it on the edge of the porcelain sink. Locking the door, she took a quick shower, dressing in the same clothes as before. Walking around wrapped in a towel in a friend's apartment was definitely not a good idea. And a male friend at that. She brushed her teeth and towelled her hair dry, then emerged from the bathroom. Kakashi was doing the dishes in the kitchen. She slipped into his bedroom and curled up in his bed for the night.

Later, he came into the room and found some clothes for the night, as well as the next morning. He didn't want to wake her the day after, figuring it would be best to let her sleep in and take the day off. He paused, hand on the doorknob, and threw a glance over his shoulder at her sleeping form. "'Night, Rin," he said quietly, exiting the room.

_-Later-_

"Rin?" he called, opening the door to his apartment. _Well, I'm back early. Maybe she hasn't gotten up yet. Training can be a really tiring bitch sometimes._

No answer.

Kakashi put down the stack of cardboard boxes that he was carrying, wiping the light sheen of sweat on his brow. "Rin?" he tried again, a little louder. It was then that he spotted her.

She was curled up in a ball, clutching her jacket to her chest. She was asleep, back to the wall. Puzzled, he went over to her and took the garment from between her hands, laying it on the floor to be taken care of later. Gently, he scooped her up and carried her back to his bedroom where he tucked her warmly between the sheets. Rin stirred a little, but then settled down again. Exiting, Kakashi couldn't for the life of him figure out why the girl had been asleep on the floor. She was always sharp-minded in the gym and he couldn't imagine the brunette sleepwalking. Shrugging, he went over to the boxes and began to unpack.

He had gotten his buddies at the gym to help him out with a little B&E. Or rather, repossessing Rin's effects, as he called it. Emptying the boxes, he laid the contents on the floor so he could decide where things should go. A slow smile spread across his face when he came across a bottle of lavender-scented shampoo. _So that's why she smells so good._ It didn't take him long to put everything away. The clothes and trophies he left for later. As he made his way to the couch, her jacket, lying discarded on the floor, caught his eye.

Kakashi went over and picked it up. And that was when he realized that it wasn't her jacket at all. It was his sweater. It wasn't one of his favourites, but it wasn't that bad either, which was why he tended to sleep in it, like the night before. Except he clearly remembered tossing it in the hamper that morning before his shower. _So why was she holding it?_ He padded down the hall to wake Rin and ask her. Upon opening the door, he ran smack into the person he was seeking.

With a squeak, she scrambled backwards until her calves hit the edge of the bed. From the light that slanted in, he could see that she was... scared.

"Hey, what's with the look, Rin? It's just me."

"Kakashi?" she asked quietly, a small tremor in her voice.

"Yeah." He turned his head briefly so the light fell across his face. He watched as the girl let out a shuddering breath and crumpled to the floor, face buried in her hands. In a few strides, he closed the distance between them, sat beside her, and looped his arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

Her shoulders shook with barely-suppressed sobs as the tears began to fall. "... Scared me," she finally whispered.

He waited in silence for her to continue.

"Th-thought you were _him_... Thought he- he'd come looking f-for me..."

They both knew which _him_ she was talking about. The adoptive father whose abuse she had suffered for years. Gently, he lifted her to sit on his lap and hugged her protectively. "Well, he'll have to go through Coach, and everyone at the gym, and me to get to you again, okay?"

Rin gained a little more control and looked up. "You told them?"

"Uhh, yeah. Sorry about that, but I had to get some people to come with me to repo your stuff and they wouldn't do anything illegal without a good reason," he said.

"Illegal?"

"Let's just say that Obito is a man of many talents, alright?" Kakashi explained cautiously.

She sniffed a little, emotions under control once again. "I can't believe you guys broke in to get my stuff," she smiled.

"Some of it is still in the boxes, but we'll deal with that later. Right now, you have to get off me because my butt is going numb," he said bluntly.

Rin snorted and complied, wiping the last of the moisture from her cheeks. He climbed onto the bed, sitting comfortably against the headboard, and beckoned her to sit next to him. They remained that way for a while, in silence, each enjoying the comfort of the other, slowly getting drowsier. "Kakashi, can I ask you something?" she said quietly.

"You just did, but I'll allow you another question," he joked, receiving a tired smile in return.

"What's it like, having a father?" Rin asked sleepily. "A real one."

"It's...well, it's special. He always helped me with whatever I couldn't do. Fathers do that. They sacrifice a lot for their kids. Even when he was framed for murder and everyone thought he was guilty... even me... He still loved me, even though I hated him." He sighed. "And after the whole thing was cleared up, I didn't get a chance to apologize."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know..." she murmured, catching onto the unsaid words despite her tiredness.

He draped his arm across her shoulders. "Don't be. You couldn't have known. I regret having hated him. I always wish that I could tell him that I was wrong and ask him to forgive me... One more thing," he said, leaning over and grabbing his sweater off the foot of the bed where it had landed earlier. "Why were you holding this?"

"I don't know," she murmured. "I just found it lying around. I was going to put it away, but I guess I fell asleep."

Kakashi decided not to beat around the bush, so he just voiced his theory. "You were waiting for me, weren't you?"

Even in the semi-darkness, (he'd never gotten around to turning on the lights) he saw the furious blush that coloured her cheeks. Maybe it was the fatigue from all the drama of yesterday, but something made her admit it. She nodded timidly.

"Okay," he said simply. A pause. "Tell me, do you remember your real parents?"

"No," she answered sleepily.

He pulled her close and planted a soft kiss on the crown of her head. "I'm sorry that you never knew them."

"Me too..." she replied.

Kakashi held her close, hoping that the pain that had appeared in her fatigue-clouded eyes could somehow be transferred to him. Then, he decided to do something on the spur of the moment. He took her arms and put them though the sleeves of his sweater, pulling it onto her small frame. "Keep it."

"But it's not gonna smell like you anymore," she protested, half-asleep.

He smiled and got out of bed, going over to her side. "Tell you what. I'll make you a deal. When it stops smelling like me, I'll trade you for one of mine."

Rin smiled in return and nodded before closing her eyes.

Kakashi left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Maybe he knew that from that day forth, there was a flicker of warmth in his cold black eyes. Maybe he knew that Rin was the source of that warmth. Maybe he knew that the flame stemmed from his heart and that it would only burn hotter until it erupted into a well of emotion that could only be sedated when Rin was in his arms, soft lips pressed lovingly to his.

But there was one thing he did know. He knew that when he got his sweater back, smelling faintly of lavender, it would, without a doubt, be his favourite sweater.

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**A/N: **So? How was it? Should I continue it? Thanks for reading and please review! ^_^


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